Cinderella Retold
by ThePsychIc11
Summary: For the first time in years, things are finally looking up for Ella- she has been invited to the royal spring ball by none other than the prince himself! But when the ball goes south, Ella is forced out onto a new path. How much can one change of events effect this would-be princess WARNING: Some Violence, Mature Themes
1. The Stairs

Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella or any of the characters

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Chapter 1. Stairs

Ella stepped out of the pumpkin carriage and onto the smooth stone pavement, a warm spurt of energy coursed through her body as she turned her sea green eyes to the wide set of stairs leading to the royal palace. She looked down at her dress- blue, silk and absolutely stunning. She still couldn't believe that this was _actually_ happening. In the last 24 hrs, not only had she met a handsome prince, but had also been invited to a royal ball by said prince. At first she didn't think she was going to make it, courtesy to her oppressive step-family, but then her Fairy- _flipping_ -Godmother showed up and gifted her with a horse and carriage, as well as the dress and glass slippers that she now wore.

 _Hmm, these shoes are pretty comfy considering they are entirely made of glass_ , she thought, sticking out her foot to look at the glimmering slippers. _I wonder if they'll still be as comfy as the night draws_ on, she though with a small frown.

Looking back up at the palace, she began her way up the stairs, slightly lifting her skirt as she did so as not to trip over. Around her were various groups of men and women clad in dark suits and extravagant gowns. Ella carefully looked around the crowd, keeping an eye out for her horrid step-mother and sisters. If they saw her, then it would all be over. She could see the top of the stairs and a large smile spread across her face. She was almost there. Within minutes she would be dancing in the strong embrace of the prince.

Finally, she stepped onto the stone courtyard and her breath hitched. Before her stood the magnificent ballroom, its doors wide open and spilling bright yellow light into the darkness of the night. She paused before the doors, once again a warm tingle travelled up her legs, spread throughout her torso, and shot down her arms, pooling in her fingertips, making them ache slightly. There room was so big and was filled with so many people. Her wide smile slightly shrunk into a frown.

 _How am I going to find the prince? What if I can't find the prince? What if he's already dancing with someone else? What if-_

She stopped and shook her head. Her smile once again returned and she looked up at the clock above the ballroom doors.

"8 o'clock. You've got 4 hrs Ella, make it count," she muttered to herself before raising her chin, swept a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, and without hesitation, walked into the ballroom.


	2. A Night with Royalty

Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella or any of the characters (duh!)

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Chapter 2. A Night with Royalty

Looking down on at the bustling floor from a wooden catwalk is the King, his plump body leaning dangerously over the bannisters. Next to him stands a dark haired man in his early-twenties wearing a traditional royal dress suit, his brow creased in concentration as his hazelnut eyes scan the crowds for _her_.

"Oh, look at that one. She'd make a good queen, don't you think. Not too bad on the eyes either," the King says to his son, shaking him by the arm and pointing towards a woman with heavily tanned skin draped in a quite revealing set of turquoiose silk cloth.

The prince's eyes dart to her for only a second before continuing their search.

"Come on Seamus. My days are numbered, and I want grandchildren before I'm gone. Plus, you'll need a wife to rule with you once I'm gone," the King continues, shaking his son again. But Seamus wasn't listening; instead he was caught in his own thoughts.

 _Come on, where is she? It's been almost half an hour and she's still not here. Maybe she's just not coming_ , he thought with a sigh.

And that's when he saw her.

Stepping into the ballroom was a girl with long wavy blonde hair, dressed in a large blue silk dress. She was absolutely stunning, a true angel, no, not simply an angel, a _goddess_.

Ella wondered the dancefloor, searching through the faces of the crowd for the one that belonged to the prince.

Looking up, she sees the King on one of the raised catwalks, looking around himself as if he had lost something.

 _Well, at least I know he's here. I doubt the prince would let his father go to a ball like this all by himself. He is getting old after all_.

Ella again resumed moving through the sea of bodies, but only made it a few metres before she stopped dead still. Some 5 metres in front of her, she could see the long, raven hair of her stepmother. She was standing in the middle of the room, flanked by her two pudgy-faced daughters who were dreamily twirling their hair at a pair of strong looking guards leaning against one of the walls

 _Oh no._

Ella quickly changed her direction, instead walking off to her right.

That's when the music started.

On a large stage at the front of the ballroom stood a small orchestra, instruments raised with the conductor melodically waving his baton through the air. Almost immediately everyone in the hall took a partner and began to waltz.

Ella let a small sigh and felt herself giving up on hope.

 _This is absolutely useless._

"Maybe I should just go home," she mutters to herself.

"Oh come on, already? I never even got to dance with you," said familiar voice from behind her.

Ella spun around and was met with the sight of the Prince. Ella was lost for words but instead gave him a wide, beaming smile.

"Can I just say, you look absolutely amazing," Seamus says with a slight grin.

"Thank you, your highness," she replies, curtsying.

"Please, no formalities tonight. Just call me Seamus," he says, then extending a hand, "care to dance?"

Smiling, Ella takes his hand and the two moved to the centre of the room where they took up a waltzing pose and slowly danced to the soft music. Every now and then, Seamus would twirl Ella around before pulling her back into his arms.

As the night drew on, the music became livelier and soon a small circle had formed around the pair. Lead by the Prince, Ella spun and twirled, laughing as she watched the world spinning around her in a blur of colours. The crowd clapped along with the music as the pair danced faster and faster, but Ella hardly even noticed. She felt like she was in a world of her own, a world with the prince, and only the prince.

As the piece came to a close, the two stopped and the leant down and planted a soft kiss on her hand before again rising to his full height and looked into her eyes. Ella could feel dozens of eyes admiring them, but it was certain pair of eyes that could her attention. From just over the prince's shoulder, she stumbled upon the gaze of her stepmother, and she was furious. Her ears her as red as tomatoes and her eyes burned with the anger of a thousand suns. Ella's stomach became a series of twisted knots and she swayed slightly, her mind foggy with stress.

The moment her stepmother got the chance, she would surely yank her home to face the horrific consequences of her deception.

 _I've got to get out of this room_ , her mind screamed.

Her eyes darted left and right. Around them the crowd of people once again began dancing as the next song started. If her stepmother were to take her, it would be now.

"-ling okay? Ella? Ella?" Seamus shook her, his voice drenched with worry.

Ella's looked up at him with a confused look on her face.

"Ella, are you feeling okay?" he repeated again, gripping her shoulders and looking into her eyes.

"I-I just need some air," she whispered. Seamus then put his arm around her shoulders and led her across the ballroom, through the large wooden doors and out into the cool night air. Seams let go of Ella and she walked out across the stone pavement, taking in a deep breath of air and closing her eyes, attempting to end her panic attack.

 _It's okay Ella. She wouldn't dare come near you as long as you're with the prince. Would she?_

Raising her head, she opened her eyes and as met with the concerned gaze of the prince.

"Feeling better?" he said, holding her at arm's length.

"A little," she whispers, her body slowly calming down into its normal relaxed state. "Sorry about that, I get a little claustrophobic sometimes," she lied, slightly bowing her head as her cheeks turned a bright red. All her life Ella had never been good at lying, and tonight was no different. Seamus could straight away tell that something was bothering her, just as he could also tell that she didn't want to talk about it, so he decided to let the matter go.

As her embarrassment passed, Ella looked back up at Seamus whose eyes looking off to the side and his brow was creased in thought. "I'm feeling better now though," she piped up, hoping to bring the prince back to her. "So I'm ready when you're ready," her face beaming with a confident smile. Seamus's dart eyes then darted back to Ella's blue one's and a small smile spread across his face as he was pleased with an idea he had just come up with.

"Actually, I just had another idea," he said with a grin before taking Ella's hand and half pulled/half dragged her across the pavement and around the corner of the hall to a set of well-polished wooden doors backing into one of the castle's walls. Without hesitation, Seamus threw open the doors and rushed down a long, dimly lit hallway, never letting go of Ella's hand. As they made their way down the hallway, Seamus began to gain speed, causing Ella to stumble - high heels aren't exactly made for running after all – before catching her heel on a ruffle in the red rug lining the carpet, causing her to lose her grip on Seamus's hand and go falling to the floor-

To be immediately caught by a kneeling Seamus.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have gone so fast," he said with an apologetic grin. Standing back up, Seamus once more took Ella's hand and the two walked side by side down the hall. Ella's cheeks were still a little warm with embarrassment, but the feeling of her hand settled her enough to ask-

"Where are we going?"

Seamus simply gave her a sideways glance and replied with, "Dinner."

"Oh really?" Ella said inquisitively with a small smile, turning her head towards Seamus and raising an eyebrow.

Seamus then turned his head so he was looking down at Ella, also raising an eyebrow as if to mimic her. "Yes _, really_. Can I not take thy fair lady away from the suffocating ball to a dinner under the stars?"

That last part had taken Ella a little by surprise, but before she could say anything else, Seamus came to a stop at a wooden door at the end of the hall. Pausing for only moment, he opened the door and led her out into a large cobblestone courtyard. The courtyard, bound by three stone walls, and what seemed to be some sort of chapel, was, to Ella's great surprise, full of plant life. Trees and bushes and hanging flower pots dotted the area. It was essentially a stone-floored garden.

Ella's eyes simply couldn't stop wandering and he jaw dropped open. "Wow."

Walking out into the centre of the courtyard, Seamus and Ella come to a stop at a wooden table with two chairs. Seamus smiled warmly at Ella and pulled out a seat.

"Oh, thank you," she said distractedly as she sat down in the chair. Seamus left her side and moved around to the other side of the table, but instead of sitting down, he stayed standing.

"Wait here, I'll be back in a moment," he said with a wink before turning on his heels and walking off to the opposite wall and walking through a door Ella hadn't before noticed. In fact, the three walls were dotted with doors.

 _I wonder where they all lead to_ , Ella thought before turning her attention to the chapel. Above the chapel doors was a large clock. _Another clock? These royals really like to keep track of the time._ Ella's eyes then squinted at the clock's rusty hands and to where they were pointing and her eyes widened. "11 o'clock! I was dancing for _three hours_?" she whispered before smiling. _The three of the best hours of my life,_ she thought to herself as her eyes wandered dreamily up to the starry night sky.

Striding across the threshold and into a wide lounge room, Seamus sped across the carpet floor and rounded a dark mahogany desk before coming to a stop in front of a pale yellow armchair. Slumped in the chair is a sleeping man with round, thick rimmed glasses, white hair and a heavily creased face.

"Edward. Edward wake up," said Seamus excitedly, shaking the man's arm. Edward's eyes only half opened and turned up towards Seamus. Upon seeing the prince, Edward quickly shot up out of the armchair and ran his hands over his brown vest, flattening out the many creases.

Edward then started sputtering, "Apologies sir, I was just… er I-"

"It's okay Edwards." Seamus said in between laughter. Then, calming himself down, "She's here." Those two simple words were all it took to capture Edward's attention. _Oh_ , he mouthed with a small smirk.

Edward's expression then went dead serious as he said, "Have you got the-"

"Oh, ah, yeah," Seamus said, cutting him off before turning around to the dark desk and opening one of the side draws. Moving aside a few roles of parchment, he found what he was looking for and slipped the small object in his pocket and closed the draw. Spinning back around so he was once again looking at Edward, he let out a heavy sigh. "C-can you g-get the-," he stuttered, a sudden rush of nerves getting the better of him.

"Yes, of course," says Edward, turning on his heel and walking across the room to a short, curved hallway. Just as he was about to round the corner, Edward suddenly stopped as if he had hit an inviable wall and turned back around. "Will it be wine or champagne sir?"

"Ah… champagne, thank you Edward," Seamus replied before Edward continued along the hall and disappeared from view.

Putting on his false veil of confidence, Seamus turned around and walked back towards the door.

Back in the courtyard, Ella hears the creak of a wooden door and looks towards the source of the sound, only to find the prince.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said as he sat down in the seat across from her. "Dinner will be here soon."

"So, what is for dinner?" Ella said with a small smile before shuffling in her seat until she was resting her elbows on the table and her cheeks against her clenched fists.

 _God she is cute. It just makes me want to…_ It was then that Seamus realized that he had been staring at her blankly for almost half a minute- not that she had realized, as she had been staring back at him.

 _He is sooooo handsome. I could stare at him all night,_ Ella thought to herself as she stared up at him. Seamus's eyes then flicked to the side before then falling to the ground and letting out a silent chuckle before muttering something to himself. _There it is, the chink in the armour._

"So, where were we… ah, dinner. Yes. I thought I'd keep it a surprise."

"Well you are defiantly full of surprises," Ella said, shaking her head. Then, something from across the courtyard caught her eye. Up against one of the stone walls was a small fountain. In the centre of the pool, standing on its hind legs, is a stone lion, water spouting from its open jaws.

Seamus followed Ella's gaze and his eyes too fell upon the fountain. "It's a good luck fountain," he said, capturing Ella's attention, "People throw coins in there, wishing for fortune."

"Do you believe it works?" Ella asked, genuinely curious.

Seamus shrugged, "depends."

Ella was leaning in closer now, "on what?"

Seamus was leaning in now and the two were once again caught in a trance with each other. Seamus then leaned back and smiled. "Depends how lucky I feel."

Ella was confused by this slightly, but before she could think about it anymore, the door through which Seamus had come through earlier swung open and a man with white hair and a close shaven beard with thick-rimmed glasses carrying a pair of wine glasses and a green bottle. Following him was another man – this one a little younger – carrying two plates of steaming hot Spaghetti Bolognese.

Seamus motioned to the first man with the wine glasses. "Ella, this is Edward, my butler. He's been like a father too me all life." _Even more than my actual father._

"Pleasure to meet you, miss," Edward said with a warm smile before putting the glasses down onto the table and pouring the contents of the bottle into each one as the other man placed the plates, along with cutlery, down in front of them. Edward then turned to Seamus and gave him an encouraging wink before turning back to address both of them. "Enjoy," he said before walking back to the door, followed once again by the other manservant.

Ella looked at the bubbling yellow liquid in front of her. "What is it?"

"Champagne," said Seamus, matter-of-factly. "You've never had champagne before?"

Ella shook her head.

"Well then," Seamus said, raising his glass, "to new experiences."

Ella picked up her glass but hesitated as her stomach twisted into knots. Then, relaxing herself, she gave the young prince a smile and raised her glass also.

"To new experiences."

 **Sup peeps,**

 **I know this chapter took some time, and I'm sorry. It probably won't be that long between chapter on a regular basis. (Probably)**

 **Also- I know this chapter was considerably longer than the last one. Most chapters will be this length, give or take a page.**

 **Anyways, thx for reading. Please review (no flames please. Only constructive criticism).**

 **Psychic out.**

 **:)**


	3. Wishes

Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella or any of the characters (duh!)

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Chapter 3: Wishes

Venessa hadn't believed it at first. But no, without a doubt, it _had_ been her ungrateful, snotty, all-round bitch of a step-daughter Ella dancing with the Prince.

The Prince!

 _How did Ella even get to ball?_ Venessa didn't know, but she sure as hell was going to find out. For as soon as Ella and he prince had left the ballroom, so had Venessa. She had hid in the shadows, following them till they entered the castle. When she had tried to enter, she had been caught by a guard and was reluctantly ushered back to the hall, let off with a harsh warning. In the ballroom, she had found a door that led into the rest of the castle and slipped through it. Right now, she was wandering through the dark labyrinth of halls, winding her way through the castle. She had no idea where she was going, and there was always the chance of coming upon one of the castle staff or another guard, but at the moment she only had one thing on her mind…

Finding Ella.

Ella had enjoyed dinner.

Mostly.

The food was absolutely delicious, the champagne had tickled her to the point of laughing, and they had talked non-stop. The downside to the magical evening was that Seamus turned out to be a huge chatterbox, always talking about himself before then turning the conversation to how beautiful she was. Nobody had ever talked so highly of Ella, she had straight u felt like a queen. But as she came to realize, there's only so many times someone can say "you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen" before it stops being romantic and starts become just plain annoying. And to make things worse, on the one occasion when Ella did get to talk, well, she couldn't have said for sure, but she could have sworn that Seamus had just tuned her out took to staring at her chest.

 _Maybe he's not the gentleman that everyone talks him up to be_ , thought Ella with a small frown. _But who knows, maybe things will change_. Her frown then pulled into a small smile and she let out a small sigh.

The pair were currently standing arm-in-arm in front of the lion fountain, looking into the pool of water at the dozens of coins resting at the bottom, overlapping each other in a way to cover the entire base as not to show a hint of stone.

"Look at them," says Seamus with a small grin, "all those coins thrown away in exchange for wishes, wishes that only have a sliver of a chance of coming true."

"That's a little depressing don't you think?" says Ella with a creased brow. "The way I see it, if you believe hard enough, your wish - whatever it is - will always come true."

Seamus let out a small chuckle. "Well, that is one way of looking at it."

Ella's eyes began to droop and she rested her head against Seamus' shoulder. "Have you ever made a wish?" she said with a yawn and blinking sleep from her eyes.

"Yeah, a couple of times. None of them ever came true though."

"That's not to say it doesn't work though. Sometimes you just have to believe."

The pair stayed there, staring at the pool in silence. Ella closed let her eyes fall close. She listened to the beating of Seamus' heart; her whole world became a pulsating _thu-thump, thu-thump_. The soft rhythm pulled her ever closer to sleep. Just as she was about to slip off the edge of consciousness, she was roused by the soft sound of Seamus' voice. "Do you want to make a wish?"

Ella's eyes flew open. She had never made a wish at a wishing fountain before, or any sort of wish when she thought about it. "Yes. O-of course," her face then lost all of its emotion as if someone had turned off a light, "but I don't have any coins." Seamus just smiled, pulled a coin out of his breast pocket and handed it to her. Ella carefully took the coin and turned the coin over between her fingers. What would she wish for? There are so many things she _wished_ were different. She wished that her stepmother wasn't so cruel. She wished she didn't have to live off the scraps of her stepsister's dinners. She wished to see her parents; for her father to return from his "business trip", and for her mother – her deceased mother – to somehow come back from the grave and love her again. She wished for so many things… but she only got one wish. How could she decide on just _one_? It was impossible…

And then, somewhere deep inside her mind, a lightbulb lit up.

All these things she wished, deep down, were all the same.

Ella clasped the coin tightly in her fist and squeezed her eyes shut. _A different life. A better life. That's all I'm asking for. No fame, no riches. Just a life in which I'm happy._

The coin flew from her open hand and splashed into the water of the fountain. She watched it slowly sink to the bottom, coming to a rest amongst the countless others.

Ella turned back to Seamus with a ginormous smile, "thank you." Seamus grinned back her smile. For some reason, her smile was so infectious.

"What did you wish for?" he said, placing his arm around her waist and pulling her in close.

"Oh come now. If I told you it won't come true," Ella said in a low voice.

Seamus just shook his head, "mmm, true."

Ella's heart leapt up into her throat. They were only inches apart, so close that she could feel his warm breath on her face. Ella slightly bit her lip. She knew what was supposed to come next, but she wasn't sure of what to do. She hadn't exactly kissed anybody bef-

Seamus beat her to it and planted his lips on hers'. This sudden move took Ella by surprise and her eyes were still open. It was really strange seeing face up this close and it made her feel kind of awkward, so she let her eyes fall close and kissed back. Ella's mind was is a haze of confusion. The taste, the smell- it was all too much to take in. Seamus' tongue then traced a smooth line across her lips and then it was over.

Ella's eyes only lingered on his face for a short while before darting to the ground. Her cheeks burnt a bright red and a lock of golden hair fell across her eyes. She was embarrassed as hell. But even so, she let out a small smile. Gathering the courage, she turned her gaze back to Seamus, who was also looking to the side. His gaze flickered back to her and he smiled with a new glow. Reaching out with a tender hand, he brushed the lock of hair behind her ear.

At that very same moment, a door from across the courtyard swung open. The two sprung apart and turned in the direction of the sound. Standing in the doorway, with eyes full of rage, was Ella's stepmother Venessa. Venessa's gaze fell on Ella and her mouth opened as if to let out a hellish roar, but stopped herself short when she saw the Prince. Without missing a beat, Venessa's anger vanished and she became her elegant, controlled self.

"Ella darling, I've been looking all over for you," she said with a smile, a smile that said "I've got you now _bitch_ "

Ella just stood there. Her breath caught in her throat, trembling.

 _Some wish._

 **Sup Peeps,**

 **Yes, this chapter took a while to get published, and I apologize. I got jumped by this horrible thing called school assignments.** **I know this chapter is short compared to the last one, but I wanted to post something so I thought I'd cut this one down and maybe add some more stuff onto the next. I'm really excited about writing this next chapter. Now that Ella's been found out by her stepmother, things are going to get pretty interesting.**

 **I'll really try to get the next chapter out faster than this one. But you know how life is. Blurgh.**

 **Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to review (no flames please. Constructive criticism only) and make sure to subscribe to get all the upcoming chapters.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Psychic, out**


	4. Butsed

Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella or any of the characters (duh!)

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Chapter 4: Busted

Venessa came to a stop a few feet away from Seamus and Ella.

"Your Highness," she said, curtseying, "I'm so sorry to intrude, but I really must be taking my daughter home." Her voice was controlled, not a trace of the boiling hot rage evident.

Ella felt the fear course through her, taking p every inch of her very existence. But she kept a straight face. Of course she hadn't told Seamus about her life at home, so she had to pretend that things were normal.

"Really, mother?" Ella whined, putting extra emphasis into her voice, "do we really have to go right _now_?"

"Yes, we do, _darling_ ," Venessa said through gritted teeth. Her hand then flung to Ella's arm and gripped on with an iron grip. "We are leaving… right… now," and with that, she tugged on Ella's arm, almost tripping her over.

Ella struggled to right herself and yanked her arm out of Venessa's grasp. Then, turning back to Seamus for a fleeting moment, she says, "thank you for such a memorable night, my Prince. I hope we meet again."

"As do I," Seamus replied.

Venessa then once again roughly yanked on Ella's arm. Venessa practically dragged Ella across the courtyard and through the still open door.

Following along the castle wall, Venessa rounded a corner and walked out across the wide open doors of the ballroom. The pavement was scattered with small groups of people still lingering around after the ball. Venessa simply tore through the crowds as if they weren't even there, making a B-line for the stairs.

Ella struggled to comprehend how her stepmother could walk so fast in heels where she was struggling to keep up; especially when it came to the stairs. Venessa raced down the stairs, never slowing, and before long she had leapt off the fourth-last step and was landing gracefully on the small bridge wide wooden bridge that lay below. Ella's landing however, was not so fortunate. Taken by surprise by this last leap, Ella had flailed through the air and landed face first.

With a low groan, Ella pushed herself up. Just as she was getting to her feet, she realized that one of her shoes had come off and lay at the base of the stairs. _Mighty shame, they were some really nice shoes. Oh well, don't have time to go back for them now_ , she thought with a small sigh as she yanked off the remaining she and through it across the bridge. She took a moment to watch it slip off the edge, landing in the water below with a small _splash_. Then, without warning, she felt her stepmother's cold hand clamp around her wrist and she was once again pulled along behind her.

Stepping off the bridge, Venessa and Ella continued down a winding dirt road. The road was lined with carriages and horsemen. Venessa turned towards a blue and silver one. Ella didn't bother fighter against her grip. There was no avoiding what would happen when they reached home.

Venessa threw open the door. Inside were Ella's two stepsisters.

"Get out," Venessa growled.

"Why?" said one sister.

"I said get out!" Venessa roared before tugging both sisters out of the carriage with her free hand. She then tossed Ella into the cart and climbed in after her.

"Mother, what is _Cinder_ elladoing here?" both sisters cried in unison, pointing at Ella in shock.

Venessa ignored them and slammed the door.

"Go!" she called to the horseman.

"But ma'am, what about your daughters?" the horseman replied, poking his head in through an opening at the top of the carriage.

"Just go!" she roared.

Venessa scared across the cart at Ella with a fiery gaze that could make ice melt. Ella braced herself for the scolding of a lifetime, but Venessa said nothing. The entire trip she held hr gaze, but kept completely silent, which only made Ella even more afraid for what lay ahead of her.

The trip seemed to fly by and soon Ella was standing in the middle of the living room. Venessa stood in front of her, her face full of anger.

"How did you get to the ball and where did you get the dress?" Venessa asked her voice stern and controlled.

Ella tried to speak but the lump in her throat stopped her from making any sound. Of course, she could tell the truth, it's not like her stepmother could do anything about a Fairy God Mother, it's not that she would believe her either. She had to think of something, but the fear inside her made her thoughts were a swirling mess. Venessa stood there, waiting for an answer. She let out a small sigh and smiled before letting fly a powerful slap. Ella staggered back and clutched her face. A fiery burning sensation spread throughout the right side of her face, radiating from where the hand had connected with her face.

Venessa reverted back to her controlled state. "I'll ask you again. How did you get to the ball and where did you get that dress?"

Ella looked up at her stepmother, her vision swimming with tears, still not able to say a thing. Through the haze of colours, she saw the shadow of a hand coming from the left and felt it slam against her face. It was just as powerful as the first one and sent her reeling back even further until she was only a few feet away from the crackling fire place. One more hit like that and she would be _Cinder_ ella. Venessa sot forward and clutched Ella by the shoulders. "Where did you get the dress!" she screeched. Ella tried to form words but all that came out was an incomprehensible blabber.

"Speak up!" Venessa roared.

"I-I stole it!" Ella lied, "yesterday, while I was in town - after I met with the Prince - I slipped into a tailor's. Then tonight I-I caught a lift with one of the neighbours."

Venessa stepped back from Ella and pulled the fire poker out from the fireplace.

"You stole it?" Venessa chuckled, "you're a dirty little thief!" Venessa swung the fire poker and smashed it against Ella's left cheek, sending her sprawling across the floor.

Ella screamed at the new pain radiating throughout her cheek. It absolutely burned… literally. The red hot tip of the fire poker had seared a nasty red mark into her face. Ella rolled around on the floor, wailing and clutching her face. Venessa reached down and picked her up by the shoulders, their faces only inches apart.

"I cannot _believe_ you!" Venessa hissed. "After all I've done for you."

Those words seemed to numb the feeling of pain which was replaced by a new feeling- anger.

"After your father disappeared I could have thrown you out. But no, I brought you in. I gave you a bed."

 _You gave me a blanket._

"I fed you."

 _You fed me? I lived off your scraps!_

"I treated you as if you were my own daughter!"

 _You spoiled the others and made me your slave!_

"And now, you not only steal, but defy me and go to the ball right after I specifically told you to stay at home." Venessa paused as if considering something. Then she continued, "Well that was the last straw. "

Venesssa pulled Ella out of the living room and to the front door.

"You are never to come back here. Ever!" she screeched. She then kicked open the door and gave Ella an almighty shove, sending her stumbling through the door.

"If I ever see you again, I promise, you will not be so lucky." And with that, Venessa slammed the door shut, leaving Ella outside. Burned, battered, and having no idea what to do next.

 **Hey people,**

 **So this one took quite some time, like a month or something. I had been playing around with different scenes and scenarios for a while but I finally got it and I hope you all liked it.**

 **I'm going to start work on Chapter 5 a little later today so that one shouldn't take so long. I'm really excited about where the story is headed.**

 **If you liked the story, make sure to Follow and review (no flames). Feel free to PM me about any ideas you guys have.**

 **As always, hope you guys are liking the story.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Psychic, out.**


	5. Burned, battered, but but ot broken

Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella or any of the characters (duh!)

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Chapter 5: Burned, battered, but not broken.

Ella dragged her still-bare feet along the dirt road. Dark branches from the surrounding forest stretched overhead, creating a sort of archway. In daylight, it may look beautiful, but right now, in the dead of the night, it only made Ella hug herself out of fear. To add to the spookiness, a nearby owl hooted and took flight, swooping so low that its wing just clipped her burnt cheek. That was all it for the already overpowering pain to flare up, earning a strangled cry from her raw throat.

She squinted her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. The slight disturbtion of the burn caused a small trickle of blood ran down across the already dried blood trails that streaked her face. At the same time, a warm teardrop leaked out from her eyelids and rolled down her cheek, mixing with the blood to run down her face further, collecting at the bottom of her chin and falling to the ground.

After she had been thrown out by her stepmother, clouded by anger and pain, Ella hadn't had the faintest idea of what to do. She had sat in front of the door and cried. After a few minutes, her two stepsisters came to the door and giggled when they saw her.

"Look at that burn on her face," one had said, "If anything, it's an improvement."

"I guess now she is officially _Cinder_ ella," the other had said with a chuckle.

Before they could hit her with the door, Ella had gotten of the doorstep and had started walking towards the road. She had seen what happened to those who slept in the woods so she had decided to head into town to find a place to sleep.

So now here she was, wandering down the dark road, heading towards the faint orange glow in the near distance.

A few minutes later, Ella stepped out from the forest road and onto the main stretch of the small little town. It was late, very late, and no one was awake. The only light came from flickering torches scattering the pathways. It was by this light that she spotted the well in the town square. She sprinted towards it, running as fast as her aching feet could carry her.

A few minutes later she was sitting next to a water-filled bucket, her back resting against the well's walls and a damp square of her dress pressed to her face, sighing as the cold water began to cool her burn. Every now and then she would plunge the cloth into the water and return it to her face. She wished she could stay here forever, next to the well with the oh-so-holy cloth on her face. But it was getting cold, and she was growing tired. No way was she about to let herself fall asleep out I the middle of the town. Who knows what veil creatures lurked these streets at night. Reluctantly, she pushed herself from the ground and left the well a minute later, carrying with her a newly-filled bucket.

Ella walked down street after street. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, and it didn't help that she didn't know where she was either. Her eyes scanned over building after building. Then she stopped. Beside her was a linen store with a large window. It hadn't really crossed her mind about how she would be keeping warm. _Maybe I could quickly slip in and take just a couple of blankets. I could pay the store owner later once- if –I get some money._

Putting down her bucket, she picked up a hefty rock and hurled it at the window, creating a small hole and an impressive spider-web pattern. Acting quickly before she attracted too much attention, Ella hurled four more rocks at the window, creating an even larger hole which she could just step through. Inside the store, she ran through the shelves, grabbing as many flannel blankets as she could carry before jumping back out the window, grabbing her bucket and sprinted down the street.

She came to a stop a few blocks from the shop and mad her way into a cosy alleyway. Creating a makeshift bed out of the blankets she lay down and absentmindedly dabbed at her face with the damp cloth, staring up at the stars.

Tomorrow she would have to start thinking about getting some food and water, as well as a more practical set of clothes. Maybe she would get a job, or would she keep stealing. It didn't matter now though. Right now, all she could think of is her stepmother beating her across the face with the fire-poker.

 _Where was that damn Fairy God Mother when you need her?_

Back at the palace, Seamus wandered across the cobblestone grounds. His mind was filled with images of Ella, but he wasn't sure if he'd ever see her again. He pulled out the small object he had put in his pocket earlier- a silver ring. The ring he had hoped to propose to Ella with a frown. He didn't know where she lived, or how to find her.

But then something caught his eye. He was standing at the top of the stairs that led down to the wooden access bridge; and on that bridge, glistening in the moonlight, was a glass shoe. Ella's shoe! Seamus smiled as he rushed down the steps towards the slipper. He picked it up and looked at it closely. It seemed as if it had been specifically molded to fit her foot. Maybe there _was_ a way he could find her.

 **Sup peeps,**

 **I know that this was only a short chapter, but it's just laying the foundation and creating a new environment for the next couple of chapters. Chapter 6 will be a hell of a lot bigger, so stay tuned.**

 **If you liked the story, make sure to Follow and review (no flames). Feel free to PM me about any ideas you guys have.**

 **As always, hope you guys are liking the story.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Psychic, out.**


	6. A Glimpse at Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella or any of the characters (duh!)

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Chapter 6: A Glimpse at Fate

Ella awoke to the golden rays of the sun shining down into the alleyway. At first she was confused. Why was she sleeping in an alleyway, and why did her cheek-

"Right, _now_ I remember."

Slowly, she pushed herself up and slumped against the wall. The full force of her situation hit her and a single tear leaked out of her eye. She was homeless _and_ alone. What was she thinking going out to the Ball? She knew something like this would happen. Maybe she could go back and apologize. Who knows, Venessa might let her back-

 _No_ , she said to herself, shutting down the thought. _You remember how they treated you; do you really want to go back there? This is a chance to change your life._

Ella's stomach let out a low growl.

 _Well, if I'm going to go through with this thing, I should probably start to think about what I'm going to do. Now, what are my top priorities? Food and water._ Ella looked over at her bucket, half full of fresh well water. She caught her reflection in the water's surface. A large bruise had swelled up on her cheek as wells as a red gash where she had been struck. Ella's mouth turned into a small frown and her eyes drooped. _Wonderful, what am I going to do about that?_

Ella shook her head. _Stay on topic. Okay, top priority is food and water. I've already got some water and I can refill the bucket at the wells around the town. The real problem is food. Food costs money; and how much money do I have? None_. _Maybe I should go looking for a job or something. I can't keep stealing forever._

Confident with her plan, Ella raised herself from the ground, brushed the dirt off the skirt off her loose-fitting brown dress, and walked out of the alley with her head held high.

Prince Seamus Carrew sat in his study, staring into nothingness while slowly turning the silver ring over and over again in his fingers.

"Master Seamus," Seamus' butler Edward said as he stepped soundlessly into the room. Seamus put the ring down on the table in front of him and stood up from his chair. "The shoe-maker has finished his examination of the glass-slipper. You were right sir, it's definitely tailor made. Very accurately made I must say, almost as if someone had poured the glass onto her foot while it was still mutable. Every single detail has been captured most exquisitely."

Seamus smiled to himself. _This is perfect. It could actually work._

At night, it had been too dark for Ella to distinguish any details between the buildings. Now though, bathed in the light of the mid-morning sun, she was able to see the town in all its glory. Her eyes critically scanned over each building, every now and then jogging a memory from the few times she had been to the town as a child with her parents. Guided by instinct, subtle familiarity, and dumb luck, Ella eventually found her way to a small square.

Dotting the square were dozens of market stalls selling everything from fruit to medicines to animals. The square was a cacophony of shouting storekeepers, desperate barters and bleating goats. Ella's mouth fell into a small frown. There was everything she needed right there in front of her and she had no money. However easy it would be in this situation, she felt bad about the concept of having to steal again. Maybe she would as a last resort if she was starving.

Ella was about to take a step forward, but then she stopped herself. What was she even doing here? Was it to buy supplies with money she didn't have, or try to find a job, or… She let out a small sigh and was about to leave for someplace else when suddenly her vision became shrouded with glare. Something on the ground was shining a bright light up into her eyes. Wait, no. Not shining, _reflecting_. Shading her eyes, she bent down and found a small golden coin. Her face brightened and her frown pulled back into her relaxed smile. Picking up the coin, she turned it over in her fingers. It was legit. Alone, it wouldn't get her much, but it was a start.

As it turned out, the market grounds were full of dropped coins and within minutes, Ella had scrapped together two handfuls of coins and had bought herself a bag of apples, a loaf of bread, and a small block of butter. Leaving the square, she walked for a couple of blocks with her two bags of food and eventually found herself at a park and sat down at bench shaded by a large Oaktree.

As she sat in the park, buttering her bread, a woman wearing a silk cloak and hood walked past and immediately Ella felt a strangely familiar warmth spread throughout her body. At first, she passed it off as nothing, but just as she was taking her first bite of bread, she noticed the dozen or so butterflies trailing the cloaked figure which definitely caught her attention. Looking over towards the cloaked figure, the woman looked over her shoulder and Ella gasped. Though her hair was now light brown instead of gold and she had hidden her wings, the pale face and purple eyes was all that Ella needed to know that it was her, her Fairy God Mother.

Ella leapt to her feet and raced after her, bags madly swinging at her sides. She was so glad to see her and she had so many questions. The fairy didn't seem to be interested in talking however, as she simply gave Ella a sweet smile before turning back around and continued walking through the park.

"Fairy God Mother!" Ella called as she tried to catch up with mystical guardian. "Fairy God Mother, wait!"

Ella called again and again, only to repeatedly be ignored. To make matters worse, seeing a young girl with a burn on her cheek yelling out to a cloaked figure understandably attracts quite a lot of attention. As they made their way through the dirt streets of the town, some passers-by gave her strange looks as if they were considering admitting her to a mental asylum. Ella caught on eventually and resulted to running after her. No matter how fast she ran though, her Fairy God Mother always seemed to be just out of reach.

Rounding the corner of a large horse-supply store, she found herself standing in the main town square at the edge of an overwhelmingly dense crowd. At the far end of the square stood the town hall and a pair of men in Royal uniforms. A long line of women snaked from the pair of representatives around the square and ended just in front of her. Ella tried to push her way through the crowd, only to be shoved back with irritated grumbles and groans. Resulting to raising herself on the tips of her toes, she spotted her the silk cloak before it seemingly vanished into thin air.

Confused and feeing utterly defeated, Ella plopped back on her feet and let out a sigh of disappointment. What was the point of that, her Fairy God Mother appearing to her just to lead her aimlessly through the streets and then disappear? Ella turned away from the square, not even bothering to find out what all the fuss was about, but was then stopped by one of the men wearing the Royal uniforms. Ella vaguely recognised him as one of the Royal guards that had been manning the hall from the night before.

"Sorry, Miss, but you cannot leave he line until you have tried on the shoe," he said with a yawn and before taking off his glasses to rub at his tired eyes.

"Excuse me?" Ella said. _Obviously this man didn't get enough sleep last night._

"Look Miss, but it's been made compulsory by the Prince that every woman has to try on the slipper until someone fits it. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but everyone-"the man stopped himself as he put his glasses on and his eyes came into focus on Ella. "You're the one," he whispered to himself before grabbing her tightly by the wrist and began pulling her to the front of the line. Reaching their destination, the guard shoved Ella up to a man in a similar Royal uniform holding a glass slipper. No, not just any glass slipper, the exact shoe that she had worn to the Ball.

"This is her. I recognise her from the Ball when she was dancing with the Prince. She's the one he's looking for'" the man with the glasses rushed out. The man holding the slipper and raised an eyebrow at her as if he were sizing her up for a meal before relaxing his expression and shaking his head.

"What harm can it do? We've been out here for hours, I just want to go home," he said as he knelt down in front of her, lifted up the bottom of her dress and placed the slipper on her dirt-covered foot. It fit her perfectly, caressing her foot just as it had the night of the Ball. Those nearby let out small gasps and whispered excitedly to each other.

"We have found her!" one of the men called. Ella stared around as people cheered and clapped. _What is this, a mad house? What in the world are they going on about? I've got to get out of here._ Before she could move however, two of the men picked her up and carried her to a nearby carriage, throwing her inside and slamming the door, leaving Ella stunned beyond belief. She had no clue what had just happened, but of one thing she was sure- she was being taken to the Prince, and her Fairy God Mother had planned it all.

 **Sup peeps,**

 **Sorry that this was such a short chapter. Originally it was going to be much longer, but I redid it as I felt a lot of the stuff was unnecessary. Apologies also for the large lack of activity for the last month and a half. I had big plans but they got cut short by assignments and exams and life. Now that that is all over, I will be posting longer chapters more often (hopefully). I'm aiming to post 1-2 chapters a month, but it may be more or less.**

 **Anyway, I hoped you guys like the chapter and how the story is going. Make sure to Favourite and Follow me and the story. Feel free to leave reviews (no flames please) and message me any ideas you have.**

 **Happy Reading**

 **And 'til next time,**

 **Psychic, out.**


	7. Meeting the Parents

Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella or any of the characters (duh!)

* * *

Chapter 7: Meeting the Parents

Ella sat in the leather-seated carriage staring out the window as the dark leaves and thick trunks of the forest flashed by. Her leg bounced rapidly and her hands rested in her lap, clasped together so tightly that her knuckles had gone bone-white. Though it had taken her a while, she had eventually figured out that the whole glass slipper kerfuffle was the Prince's attempt at trying to find her. That much she was sure was certain, how she felt about it was another story however.

Sure, she had found the night with the Prince to be nice. Yes, she _could_ have pulled away when he kissed her, but she hadn't. And though he may have been a little corny, the Prince had seemed like a generally good person. And then he goes and pulls a stunt like this; getting every lady in the Kingdom to try on her shoe in hopes of finding her. She supposed that it she was missing something and it was some really romantic gesture or whatever, but she found to be... _strange_. Why would the Prince, a man who probably meets dozens of girls every week, go this far to look for her? Did he truly love he that much; and if so, why didn't he look for her himself instead of sending his servants to do all the work for him? Was there some deep and cryptic reason, or was he just lazy?

Before she could ponder the matter further, the smooth sound of the wheels rolling along dirt became that of gravel crunching under metal. The carriage slowed and came to a stop. Ella felt the nerves heightened tenfold and she bit her lower lip. A few seconds later, a shadow appeared at the curtained window and she watched as the door handle lowered and she carriage door swung open.

Edward's wrinkled face popped round the door and smiled at her invitingly. "This way, miss." Seeing the face of the old man calmed her slightly and she slid out of the carriage. The small stones of the gravel poked at her battered feet but the discomfort didn't bother her in the least for she was staring up at the gigantic structure that stood before her. A magnificent combination of wood, marble and orange brick, the mansion was a wonderfully magnificent sight to behold. Large windows with beautiful lace curtains lined each of its three floors. Behind the mansion's front split off large brick corridors that curved off into the distance. She guessed that the ballroom was on the other side of the grounds, and the courtyard/garden. That thought, however, was cut short when the large pair of wooden doors at the base of the mansion swung open, revealing the Prince. Despite her best attempts, Ella simply couldn't shake her gaze from him. Lazy creep or loving romantic, he was one hell of a sight to behold.

Seamus walked across the wide marble veranda and jogged down the steps leading to the driveway. He walked across the gravel with a sort of tangible aura of charm surrounding him and a bright smile to match. He came to a stop maybe three metres from her and looked right into her eyes. As if on instinct, she dropped her gaze to the ground. Last night at the Ball, they had been dressed up in fancy clothes. Now here they stand, Ella in her brown tattered dress looking like a homeless person, Seamus in a white shirt and brown pants but still looking just as dashing.

Ella works up the courage to look him in the eye, and finds him frowning. Doesn't he recognize her? Or is he not impressed? No, that's not it. He's seen her in her normal clothes before, that time in the forest.

"What happened to your cheek?" he says, his voice heavy with worry.

"Oh, er, I was walking past a blacksmith's. Tripped and fell onto a hot iron," she said. She wasn't exactly sure why she had lied. She guessed it was out of embarrassment, but then again, would the Prince really look at her the same way if he knew the truth? She supposed that she'd tell him the truth eventually, once she was absolutely sure with what was going on. "I can be a little clumsy," she added and gave a little laugh.

"I'll have some of the maids tend to it soon. In the meantime, maybe you should hold my hand in case you fall again," Seamus said, holding out his hand. Ella glanced at his hand. _That was so freaking corny, but what the hell._ Ella gave him a small smile and laced her fingers with his. The two ran across the marble veranda and into the large mansion.

The mansion's exterior took Ella's breath away, then the interior all but literally make her heart stop. The two stood in the foyer, a large area with dark wooden planks and a glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Both sides of the foyer opened into spacious living rooms with large magnificent paintings. On the other side of the foyer stands a wide staircase that leads to a landing which then split off into two smaller staircases leading off to the left and right.

"Wow," Ella gasped. She knew it sounded stupid, but she was so taken away that she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Oh this is nothing. Let me give you a tour," Seamus said, giving her a smile.

"I'd like that," Ella said with a wide smile.

"Well then, where should we start? Oh yes, the living rooms," Seamus said, leading them off to the right.

They moved fast through the palace, Seamus rattling his mouth off non-stop while Ella struggled to take it all in. The place seemed to go on forever and every single room, hallway or staircase had some special story. While Ella found this greatly captivating, she couldn't help wonder what this all meant. The Prince had tracked her down and was now showing her around the Palace. While it seemed innocent enough, it occurred to Ella that he most likely had plans that stretched long into the future. It seemed like the life she always dreamed of- no work, living in luxury, freedom to do as she pleased. But was it this life of Royalty really what she wanted?

Ella soon found her leaning on a stone railing with the Prince watching the sun set over the south-west fields of the Palace grounds. The lush green grass stretched on for about the length of a football field before meeting the tree line of the forest. Ella grimaced as she remembered her walk along the dirt road through the woods the previous night. Those woods were eerie and unsettling. These woods on the Palace grounds seemed welcoming and peaceful.

"It's really beautiful here. You are so lucky," Ella muttered, looking off the left of the fields where a family of ducks were swimming around a small dam.

"Well I'm glad you like it, 'cause you're going to be seeing it a whole lot more often," Seamus replied. Ella looked down at the ground as her suspicions were proven.

The last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the tree line and Seamus pushed off from the railing. "Come on. It's time to meet my parents."

Ella took his hand and the pair wound their way through the Palace before eventually reaching a long dining hall. The table stretched the entire length of the hall and had a dozen chairs on either side. At the head of the table stands a grand throne of red leather. In the throne sat the King with an apron tied around his third chin catching the drops of drool as he stared at the plates of food set out on the table. On the King's right sat an elegant woman with wavy gold locks. Although Ella had never seen her in person before, she immediately recognized her as the Queen.

"Marian, look. Seamus and his friend are here. Now we can eat!" the King bellowed before reaching out towards the bowls of food. Moving as fast as a bullet, the Queen slapped away her husband's hand. "Don't be so rude, love," she hissed under her breath. She then turned back to Ella. "Please excuse my husband. He, uh, has quite an appetite," she said with a welcoming smile. "Please, sit." Ella hesitated for a moment and Seamus led Ella over to a pair of seats across the table from the Queen.

"You are Ella I presume?" the Queen said as the King took a huge bite out of a chicken leg and chewed loudly.

"Y-yes I am your Majesty,' Ella stuttered out. Despite her soothing tone, the Queen's gaze was intense and but Ella on edge.

"Well, Ella. Seamus has told us much about you," she said with a sly smile, glancing at her son. Ella's eyes momentarily darted to Seamus in worry. Her eyes returned to the Queen who still held her gaze. Ella thought that the Queen was about to curse at her, but instead she chuckled at sat back in her seat. "You look so uptight, darling. Relax. He's only told us the _good_ things."

"And he sure didn't lie," the King said through a mouthful of mash potato. Ella was a little thrown at this comment, feeling quite uncomfortable about what the King was referring to. Seamus was then suddenly leaning in next to her ear his warm breath rolled across her jaw and made her feel all tingly. "Don't mind him. He's getting a bit too old for his own good," Seamus said before sitting back up and starting cutting up his food.

Seamus' parents asked Ella many questions. Where did she come from, what did she like, her family's background (which proved to be a particularly hard subject to lie about on the spot), among many other things. As the night drew on, the questions they asked her seemed to resemble more like an interrogation than casual dinner conversation. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Seamus give each of his parent's and they backed off her from there on.

As dinner was wrapping up, the King let out a loud burp and chuckled. "Come on Father, we have a guest," Seamus said a little embarrassed. "Oh, right. Pardon me," the King said before chuckling again. "Oh my boy, this King stuff is really getting to me. Only another month and you'll have the job all to yourself." The King sighed, leaning over and clapping Seamus on the shoulder.

A moment later, Seamus' butler Edward entered the dining room followed by a small team of maids. "Did you enjoy dinner, madam?' Edward said. It took Ella a few seconds to realize that he was talking to her. "Oh, yes. Exquisitely fantastic! " she said with a bright smile. "Hmm. Exquisitely fantastic. None of our guests has ever praised our food _that_ much," Edward said with a grin. "She's a keeper, Master Seamus." Ella put on a small smile and looked up at Seamus with large eyes. The maids and Edward speedily cleaned down the table, stacking plates and brushing food scraps into bags.

She felt a little bad for them. Seamus was the only one who actually acknowledged they were there, but none of the royals did anything to help in the cleaning. Ella though back to the years of cleaning she had down under her stepmother and couldn't help but see them in the same position that she had been –servants cleaning up after those who don't give a care. Ella couldn't stop herself from scraping her and Seamus' food scarps into the rubbing bag that one of the maids was carrying around. She then speedily stacked their plates and was following another maid to where she guessed was the kitchen when Edward stepped in front of her. "I'll take those. But thank you anyway for the offer, miss," he said, grabbing the plates and smiling at her.

The royals were utterly speechless and stared at her as if she had just performed some great feat. Seamus blinked out of his daze and stood from the table. "It's getting late. I think we will be going to bed." Ella lingered before Edward before then turning and heading towards Seamus. "It was nice meeting you," she said to the King and Queen before taking Seamus' hand and walking of the dining room

Seamus led them through a hallway leading off the dining room into a small lounge room. The room was pretty plain except for a large wooden table and hallway on the opposite side. They crossed the room and made their way down the hallway, passing a couple of doors before stopping at a dark door with a golden handle four doors from the lounge room.

"This will be your room for the time being," he said and opened the door, revealing a spacious room with white carpet, a walk in wardrobe and a banister bed. Ella looked up at Seamus with loving eyes. "It's beautiful," she said.

Seamus opened his mouth to say something, but then Edward appeared behind him. "Excuse me sir. Your father wants to speak with you." Seamus let out a sigh.

"Okay, I'll be there in a minute," Seamus said to Edward over his shoulder. He then turned back to Ella. "Don't go to sleep yet. I want to show you something." Seamus then turned on his heels and followed Edward down the hall.

Seamus found his father still in the dining hall by himself. At the sound of Seamus' footsteps, his face perked up a little and he rushed towards him. "My boy, she is definitely the one for you," the King said, throwing an arm around his son's shoulder.

"You really think so?" Seamus said, wincing at his father's embrace.

"You're sure right I am. She is _so_ beautiful. Makes me want to end it with your mother and get with her," he said, nudging Seamus in the arm.

"Father!"

"Oh I'm just joking son. But she is quite the looker."

"Stop it Father. That's my girlfriend you're talking about."

"And soon to be fiancé," the king said under his breath. "You've still got the ring with you, right?"

"Yes, Father. I was actually going to propose to her right now, but then you sent in Edward who interrupted me," Seamus said matter-of-factly.

"Well then, you best get with it. Your coronation's in two weeks' time, and no prince has ever showed up to his coronation without a bride."

"Yes, yes. I know Father. Now goodnight," Seamus said, wriggling free of his father's grasp and made his way back to Ella. Reaching her room, he knocked twice on the closed door. 'Ella, it's me Seamus. Can I come in?" he said, but no reply came. "Ella, are you in there?" he said a little more urgently. _Screw it_ , he thought as he opened the door. Everything in thee rom was exactly the same as it had been only a minute ago, except for one thing. Ella was gone.

Seamus ran his hands over his face. "Oh no. Not again"

 **Sup peeps,**

 **I'm back after... huh, only a month? Felt a lot longer than that.**

 **So yeah, here's chapter 7 (finally). Hope you liked it, 'cause I've been stressing over this chapter's direction for so long.**

 **Warning, it may be a while 'til I post a next chapter, for as well ass Cinderella, I am also working on another little special story, my own private short story, am formulating ideas for a Batman story hat I've been wanting to do for a while, and a Star Wars story (and let me tell you, that thing is going to take a loooonnnnngggg time).**

 **Anyways, hope you all had a lovely Xmas,**

 **Make sure to Favourite, Follow, Review (no flames please), and PM me if you have any ideas about the story.**

 **As always, Happy Reading!**

 **And oh, look at that, its the 31st of December. So HAPPY NEW YEAR and bring on 2016**

 **Until next time,**

 **Psychic, out.**


	8. Libro Locata Sunt Fati Seriem

Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella or any of the characters (duh!) **Except for my OC's. They are mine so hands off! (And let me tell you, there's going to be a crap of those guys popping up. I mean, in the original tale of Cinderella there are literally like six or seven characters and only half of them you actually give a shit about)**

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Chapter 8: _libro locata sunt fati seriem_

Ella leaned on the railing of the veranda overlooking the south-east fields and woods. Her brown dress ruffling in the soft breeze, the long skirt lifting just enough to see the pair of brown leather hiking boots she had found in her room. They were unbelievably comfortable; something that only royalty could buy. Even so, she had made her decision. No, she didn't want a life of royalty, not after what she witnessed at dinner. She would never be able to live with herself having servants run around and pick up after her. At first, she had decided to sneak outside to try and think, but then she heard the conversation between Seamus and his Father. It was at that moment that everything had seemed to become completely clear to Ella. Why the Prince had been so desperate to find her. He needed a wife for his coronation and she had been his pick. It was if she were just an object to him; a tool. She had gotten enough of that from Venessa, she did not need it from Seamus too.

But that then brought her back to the same question she had been asking herself the night before. Where was she going to go now? Back to the streets; stealing until she could support herself- whenever that was. Then what? She had no friends- her stepsisters had made sure of that -and no family. She was alone.

 _But if you stayed, it wouldn't be that way_ , a voice chimed in.

Ella spun around, but she wasn't surprised when she found that there was no one there. It was if the voice had been inside her mind. It was vaguely familiar, but it sure wasn't hers. She sighed. "Isn't that just wonderful Ella? The moment you realize just how lonely you are, you start hearing voices in your head? Oh look, now you're talking to yourself. "

Ella looked out at the woods again. They were dangerous, she knew that. But it would be so easy. Just stroll out there and leave without a second thought. How funny it was how drastic a person's views can change in a matter of hours. Not even a full day ago, she had been dancing with the prince, staring into his eyes and fantasizing of a life with him. Now her she was, about to leave a life most could only dream of. Well it wasn't her dream, not any more.

Heavy footsteps pounded on the concrete to her left. She looked up and groaned on the inside. Seamus was running down the balcony towards her, his face full of relief. "There you are, my darling," he puffed when he reached her. Ella looked him up and down. He seemed genuinely pleased to find her, but Ela now knew why. He didn't _truly_ care about her. He only cared about his image. No prince has gone to their coronation without a wife in his arm. If he went alone, he would be a laughing stock. "What kind of prince can't even get married before he is crowned king?" they would say. And Ella would be there to answer that question. A shallow prince. A prince who only cares about his image.

Ella took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak. She didn't exactly know what she was about to say, but it didn't matter. He words got stuck in her throat when Seamus pulled a small velvet covered box from his pocket and got down to one knee.

"Ella...," he was planning to say her full name, but with a small shock he realised that he didn't even _know_ her last name, let alone her full name. That's when his world began to crumble. He had been running through the scenario over and over again ever since their first meeting in the woods. He had been confident that he would be able to play it out seamlessly, but that didn't seemed to be the case as he felt a lump in his throat choking his words. She looked so intimidating standing above him; her golden locks framing her beautiful face and her sea green eyes staring at him. The burn on her left cheek only added to the effect. All in all, she was an absolute bombshell, soon to be _his_ bombshell, and she didn't even know her name. How could he not know her last name, let alone her full name? He felt like an imbecile. He shook the panic way. It didn't matter right now. He'd make it work. Then she'd say yes and everything would work out fine. Taking an extra shaky breath and continued.

"Ella. We have… been through so much together. You- You have let me into your life, and I have let you into mine. We have such… a strong connection, and I don't know what I cou-would do without you."

Ella's surprise faltered slightly at his words. Thanks to her unplanned eavesdropping she knew that the proposal had been coming. Despite her disdain for the Prince, she knew that she'd be conflicted when it would come to the proposal. As a child she had always fantasized of a handsome prince proposing to her, to whisk her off her feet and take her far away. That's though she had hoped that she would have flee before being found by the Prince. Now here she was, in that very fantasy. That young part of her wanted to say yes right there before he even finished. Another part of her was fighting against it. Neither of those voices, however, were as prominent as her utter confusion at Seamus' words. They've only known each other for what, _three_ days. Yet here he was talking about them as if they'd been together their entire lives. Ella couldn't help but notice the way his eyes looked upwards in each little pause as if he was an actor struggling to remember his lines. It wouldn't have surprised Ella if he had one of his servants to write out a speech for him to memorize. There were points where his emotion was largely overplayed and others in which there was no emotion at all. Shallow. Just like the prince himself.

She couldn't help but cross her arms as he continued. "Ella. My sweet. Will you marry me?" As he finished those words, Seamus opened the small box and threw her a winning smile.

 _Say yes,_ the mysterious voice whispered. _Say yes and you will be loved, have a family, and forever be free from harm._

Ella's head felt dizzy and her arms hesitantly unfolded and fell to her sides. His eyes gleamed bright in the moonlight, wide with hope. She may not love him like he loved her. But in time, things may be different. Maybe she would become used to this strange life. Maybe she would embrace it. Ella felt the word forming in her mind. She opened her mouth and the word came rolling off her tongue. "Mffs _."_

Seamus' eyes filled with worry. "Ella, are you okay?" She stared at Seamus, eyes wide and her hand still firmly clamped over her mouth. She didn't dare remove it, out of fear that she would say the word that would seal her fate. Seamus stood up and took a step towards her, only for Ella to take a step back. She looked over at the staircase a few feet off to her right. Wide, dark wood leading down to the green field. Ella turned back to Seamus and took her hand off her mouth.

"Seamus, I-," she shook her head and turned, sprinting for the stairs. Seamus called out after her but she wasn't listening. She leapt off the middle step, landing hard and making a break for the forest, her thick soled boots pounding on the grassy ground.

Ella powered across the field, each step bringing her that little bit closer to the woods. Behind her she could hear Seamus yelling out her name, his voice gradually getting closer and closer. Ella didn't need to look back to know that he was catching up to her. She stared at the towering trees in front of her, the trunks appearing silver in the bright moonlight. Her stomach tugged at her as she thought about the haunting stories that circulated about the creatures that lurked within those woods. If she could get deep enough into the forest, she was sure Seamus would eventually stop following her. If she could just get past the tree line before he caught up to her.

That's when the wind picked up.

The trees of the forest creaked loudly as they were bent by the strong winds. Leaves rustled and were ripped from their branches, wildly swirling through the air. A powerful gust blasted her right in the face, blowing her hair back, making her eyes water and ripping at her dress. She felt herself stumble as the wind pushed at her even further. She lifted another foot to step forward, but the merciless wind unbalanced her and she tumbled over.

Pushing herself up, she could feel a hand on her arm. "Ella!" Seamus yelled over the wind. "What has gotten into you?"  
"Don't touch me!" she yelled as she angrily threw his hand off her and glared at him. The forest was now only 30 metres from her. She could have made a sprint for the trees, but she got to her feet and stood her ground before Seamus. She wasn't sure where it came from, but anger violently boiled within her… and it needed to be released.

"You want to know what's gotten into me? I should be asking what's gotten into you!" she shouted at Seamus her cheeks bright red. "Who do you think you are? Hunting me down, sweeping me off to your palace and then asking me to marry you, just so you can have a wife at your coronation? Yeah, that's right. I heard you talking with your father. What made you believe that you thought I would just go along with all of this? I am not an object to improve your image!" Ella had suddenly felt as if a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She glared at Seamus, who stood with the positively dumbstruck expression of someone who was not used to being spoken against.

"But Ella, I-I love you," he stuttered stupidly as he took a step towards her. Ella rook two steps back and shook her head. "No. No, Seamus. This," she waved a finger back and forth between the pair of them, "it's not going to happen." Ella then felt her anger die out and a tear leaked out of her eye. Then she turned around and slipped between the dark trunks of the forest.

Fallen leaves crunched under her heavy feet. Trees blurred by incomprehensibly. The wind whistled around her, pushing her back towards the palace, but she kept on running. She had no idea where she was going; she only knew that she had to get away from the palace. She could hear Seamus' voice calling out to her from the edge of the forest. His voice got fainter and fainter until it was merely a dull buzz.

Ella slowed down to a steady jog. She had done it. She had left Seamus behind. Now she was in an infamous dark forest alone and no idea where she was. As she weaved through the trees, Ella trued to visualize the area around the palace. If she could find the dirt road that led to the main driveway, she might be able to follow it back to town-

Ella halted in her tracks as the wind that had been rushing through the woods suddenly stopped. Ella turned in a circle and started out at the trees. Something was definitely wrong. Off to her left came the shuffling of leaves and she felt a string tug at her stomach. She wanted to run, but she couldn't help but risk a quick glance. About three trees away stood a tall figure draped in darkness. Dark shadows swirled around it like smoke, stopping Ella from getting a clear view. The figure continued towards Ella, the shadow following behind it like a gown of smoke.

Ella tuned to run, but the figure leapt into the air and landed right in front of her. The figure starched out a pair of black hands and clutched Ella's arms like a vice. The dark figure leaned down towards her face and hissed. Ella whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel the swirls of smoke tickling her collar bone and hot breath against her neck. Ella's heart then skipped a beat as she felt two small pricks push against her neck. Fangs. Ella tried to control her breathing as she prepared for the inevitable. She was going to die. Not even five minutes in the forest and she was about to be eaten alive. Just her luck.

 _If you had stayed with the Prince, this never would have happened,_ the voice whispered. It was right. Staying with Seamus would have kept her safe, kept her away from danger, from _this._ But it wasn't too late.

Ella felt the pairs of fangs pierce her skin and her adrenalin kicked into overdrive. In the space of a heartbeat, Ella jammed her knee up into the figure's stomach and was about to make for the palace. It was then that she recognized the voice.

She spun and stared at the- now doubled-over - shadow figure. "Fairy God Mother!"

The figure froze, staring directly at her. Ella stared back, clenching her fists. She hoped that she was right, for if she wasn't she truly was dead. All of the black smoke suddenly receded into the figure's body before exploding outward in a growing ball of black smoke. The shadows passed over Ella and the air was ripped from her lungs and she fell to the ground, gasping for air. The hem of a grey dress shifted into Ella's view and she looked up to find the face of her fairy God Mother staring down at her with an angry frown.

"What do you think you're doing?" she screeched, her eyes wild. Ella stumbled to her feet and looked at the woman before her. Once again she looked different to how Ella had seen her before. Her hair is black and floated around her as if it were under water. Her skin was a translucent grey, lacking its normal healthy glow. She wore a grey and black dress gown decorated with small bones. Topping it all off were her wings that stretched out behind her. They too carried on the dark theme, doing away with the white feathers and resembling large bat wings. Overall she looked more like a demon than a fairy

Her purple eyes stared at Ella intently, waiting for an answer. "I was running away from the prince," she said hazily before sucking in a large breath of much needed air. "Hold on a minute," she then took up a more commanding stance "I should be asking _you_ that question. You're my Fairy God Mother. You're supposed to help me!"

Fairy God Mother's face lightened a little and her hair gradually fell down around her shoulders. "But darling, I _was_ helping you."

Ella shook her head incredulous. "How do you call terrorizing me in a forest in the middle of the night "helping"?"

The dark fairy let out a small giggle as if she had just heard the most the ridiculous thing in the world. "Oh Ella, I wasn't terrorizing you. I was guiding you, turning you in the right direction. That is, after all, the job of a Fairy God Mother; to guide."

"Fairy God Mother, once upon a time I would have jumped at the chance at being with the Prince. But not now. The only reason he was going to propose to me was so he-"

"-was so he had a wife in time for his coronation," Fairy God Mother finished. "Yes, I know all about that. While it doesn't sound like the perfect "happily ever after", it is your destiny."

Ella raised an eyebrow. "My destiny?"

"Yes sweetie, your destiny." Fairy God Mother said with a smile. Ella's raised brow didn't even twitch and the dark fairy let out a sigh. She then waved her finger in a spiral motion and a large leather bound book dropped out of the air. Awkwardly leaning the book on her forearm she flicked through the pages. After a few seconds she turned the book to face Ella. "Your destiny."

Ella looked at the pages before her and couldn't help but let out a small gasp. At the head of the first page was the heading: **Chapter** **57: Cinderella**. Bellow the title was a picture of Ella and Seamus dancing at the ball. Her eyes widened as scanned over the small words that spread across the thin yellow page. She was reading a story, the story of her own life. She look across to the next page that read: **Chapter 58: Prince Charming.** The picture below it showed Seamus at his coronation with Ella by his side. "What is this," Ella murmured.

"That, Ella, is a _libro locata sunt fati seriem_ , more simply known as a Book of Fate," Fairy God Mother said. "Each Book of Fate details a prophesied life path for a handful of individuals."

Ella randomly leafed through the pages, each one titled with a number and name. "What is your definition of a handful exactly?"

"Oh a couple of thousand or so," Fairy God Mother said. "The book gains and loses pages as people are born and die. Most of the time it sticks to specific families but every now and then it skips a generation and other people pop in. It all depends how heavily their stories are linked. Of course, it is quite-"

"Hang on, what exactly do you mean by their stories are linked?" Ella said, finally taking her eyes off the book.

"I mean it literally. All the people in this book will influence each other in one way or another," Fairy God Mother said. Ella's eyes glanced at the book as she thought over Fairy God Mother's words. "As I was saying," Fairy God Mother continued," It is quite common for someone to-"

"Is my dad in there?" Ella blurted out. "You said that the people in the book have their fates intertwined. Surely if I'm in there he would be too, right?"

Fairy God Mother let out a small sigh. _Does this girl know how rude all these interruptions are?_ "Why yes, of course. Actually, I had the exact same conversation with him right before he left…" she trailed off as she studied Ella's face and followed her gaze to the book. " Oh no no no no no. I know that look. You are not, I repeat not, going after him." Fairy God Mother said, her hair once again starting to smoke.

"Why can't I?" Ella said edging closer to the book.

"Did you actually read your story?" Fairy God Mother then flicked back to Ella's page and began skipping through the text. "Happy little girl growing up with two wealthy parents. Mother dies. Father remarries and later leaves his daughter with her oppressive step-mother and sisters." She then began to raise her voice. "Ella lives as a slave until she meets the handsome prince Seamus Carrew who invites her to the ball. Her step-relatives leave her at home and Ella has to sneak out to the ball in her mother's old dress. Ella dances with the prince. The prince proposes. Ella says yes. Bla blah blah. Wedding. Blah blah blah. Coronation. Blah blah blah. And they lived happily ever after!" She slammed the book shut and glared at the young girl. "In no part of that does it say "Ella abandons a life of royalty to chase after her selfish father", does it?"

"Fairy God Mother please," Ella pleaded.

Fairy God Mother's hair began to float up around her. "Did you realize that it also didn't say "Ella's loving Fairy God Mother gave her a dress and transportation to the ball", did you hear "Ella and Seamus left the ball to have dinner which is when her step-mother noticed her, resulting in Ella being beaten and thrown out of the streets, meaning that her Fairy God Mother had to step in and orchestrate a way for Ella to be found and brought back to the kingdom"? Hmm, did you? Do you have any idea how exhausting using that much magic is?" Fairy God mother was shouting now. "Being a Fairy God Mother is a very draining job. People go off their path all the time. Most people listen to me. But no, poor little slave girl Ella had to be different and reject my advice!"

"What are you talking about?" Ella shouted back. "All you said to me was "Here's a pumpkin cart, you have until twelve before everything goes to hell. Now go smooch a prince"."

"Before that you idiot," Fairy God Mother fumed. "Think back to your little mice friends." Ella's eyes turned to the leaf covered forest floor. She did remember. It was right after the others had left. She was cleaning the fire place and they had run up to her. "Sneak out," they had pleaded. In the past she had always followed their advice. But this time it had been different, for this time she had said "no".

"The mice," she said slowly. "They were you?"

Fairy God Mother nodded. "I've been watching you for years, guiding you." She let out a sigh and stared at Ella. "You always followed my advice, except for the one time when it really counted."

"Well it's time for you to listen to me now. After my father left, I had no one. I was alone. Now I have a chance to reunite with him, to have someone care about me again. You have to let me go after him." Ella said, tears swelling in her eyes.

"If you go after him your decisions will cause a ripple effect. Little falters are hard enough to fix. You do this and you will cause everyone in this book to go off their path. It will be a disaster," she took in a harsh breath, "How do you expect me to clean up a mess like that, huh?" she was shouting again now, her voice taking on a multilayered effect like three different people talking at once. "How do expect me, a single person, to round up over three thousand people and set their lives straight. I may be able to be in multiple places at once, but something of those proportions. By the gods, a job like that it would take a lifetime. So stop being so selfish and turn back!" Her expression then changed. Her eyes became a little softer and her entire being took on a hue of blue. "Ella, I'm begging you. It's not just the job of a Fairy God Mother to guide people along their path, it's the entire reason of our existence. If we fail…"

"It doesn't have to be like that,' Ella said. "My father and I, we could help you. Hide you away-"

Fairy God Mother chuckled. "No mortal could stand up to my superiors," she said, looking to the sky as if she were remembering a similar incident.

Ella felt herself sink inside. How could she do this, practically condemn a person to death. "Okay, I'll go back," she said, turning back in the direction of the palace. She'd only taken one step when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, she half-turned back to see her Fairy God Mother. She looked like she had the first time Ella had seen her- blonde hair, a puffy white dress and silver fairy wings. "Thank you," she said with a sad smile. Ella just nodded. Her eyes then flicked to the fairy's other hand, still holding the _libro locata sunt fati seriem_. That was her one chance.

Ella turned back and noticed a fallen branch lying at her feet. It was about the length of a club and just as wide. Ella stared at it. She would make it quick. Then once she finds her father, they could come back and help Fairy God Mother. But was it worth the risk? What if it didn't do anything? What would Fairy God Mother do then? Ella let out a sigh. "I'm sorry Fairy God Mother," she whispered.

In one swift move, Ella snatched the branch off the ground and spun around. Swinging the branch with all her weight, she slammed it into Fairy God Mother's head. The fairy crumpled to the ground, a small trickle of purple blood running down the side of her cheek.

Ella then threw the branch aside, scooped up the book and ran off through the forest.

 **Sup peeps,**

 **This goddamn chapter is finally finished! (*Bout time Psychic ^Yeah I know, so shut up)**

 **As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, the chapter where everything starts to make sense is fnally here. For so long I was playing around with the idea the _libro locata sunt fati seriem_ (In case you haven't already guessed that is the LATIN translation for "the book of fate". Also, it should be known that I don't speak Latin and I used Google Translate to get the name. So if any of you reading this are fluent in latin and notice any screw ups in the translation, please let me know so I can fix it) and I really hoped that you all liked it. **

**I've got to say that I had a lot of fun adding more to Fairy God Mother visually. I mean, having a bright fairy in a white dress yelling at Ella in the middle of a dark forest seemed a little silly to me. I was thinking of reworking the whole scenario altogether but then I thought back to Chapter 6 when I had Fairy God Mother slightly changed her appearance to blend in and I thought "what if her appearance constantly changed based on her emotions". SO yeah.**

 **Also, it is very obvious that tis chapter is much longer than the others (like almost double the length of some of them). This is the chapter length that I will be aiming for so that means that I will probably only be posting on Cinderella around once a month (*Which isn't any different then what you do now, Psychic. ^I said shut up) or maybe even less frequent as I am about to start planning out my Batman story. School also goes back tomorrow which means a whole lot of other crap I've got to deal with, so we'll see what happens.**

 **Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter and where the story is going. If you do, make sure to Favourite and Follow both the story and my account. Feel free to leave a review (no flames but constructive criticism is welcome) or PM me if you have any requests for the story (we can discuss them i'm i'm not making any promises)** **As always, Happy Reading!**

 **And until next time,**

 **Psychic, out.**


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